Y’all have seen those oriental cast iron park benches from the borgs. Well the high class hard wood they use dies in about 4 years , even if it gets stripped and done with a decent spar varnish-not yacht quality, it’s a park bench- maybe 5 years. Then it rots!!!
I have two of these iron structures and plan to sand blast, repaint with enamel primer and color and re-slat with TREX or some other magic- color thru the board- almost, looks like wood deck trim boards. I, at this stage of my old life will NEVER put a beautiful piece of wood outside to suffer the ravages of the sun in East Tenn. so my friends can sit there and drink my beer and I have a long term, terminal maintenance problem.
My big questions are do I rip it on the Unisaw with the Forrest WWII or dig out the OLD delta rip blade? Do I round over the bench slats with the good router bits or reach for one of those $69 every bit you will ever need bits? The same with the chop saw and drill press for the bolt heads countersinks and through hole.
Is this stuff like the old composites(sand, glass, wire, former wives and business partners) not kind to good tool edges? Some of you folks must have done a deck with this stuff and I am hope ya didn’t tear up your tools. All tips, hints and innuendos are welcome, including which stains for the cut edges if necessary. All the best, Paddy
Replies
Supposedly, all of the new composites are tool-friendly. Nothing but sawdust and resins.
A problem with most composites is that they "cold flow." Like particle board or MDF, an unsupported length will sag over time. I've seen some park benches where the people were apparently aware of this tendency, so they made the planks extra thick, almost like 4x4s. They still sagged. There's a bridge in a park near here where they used some 2x6 composite planks as handrailing. The planks are mounted "on edge" with a bolt through the face into the steel bridge structure about every 3' or so. Within a couple of years of installation, the planks sagged between the bolts, about 3" down and 1" out away from the supports.
I think the only way you'll be successful making a park bench out of composite decking is to add additional support under each plank (some metal angle, for example).
-Steve
Steve. thanks, bracing should be easy, maybe low wall channel screwed along the bottoms. Paddy
Paddy,
I had to cut a lot of Trex when I rebuilt my front porch. It's relatively easy to cut - about on par, I'd say, with poplar. No damage to tool edges.
But be prepared to deal with dust - lots of dust. It makes a ridiculous amount of the stuff; bales from just one little rip cut. And I'd dig out the old blade to cut it. No sense in wearing our your good blade cutting something that doesn't need to have a finished look.
As another poster mentioned, Trex and other composites do sag noticeably. You might want to consider adding 2x4 pressure treated supports under the material on your bench project.
Zolton
* Some people say I have a problem because I drink hydraulic brake fluid. But I can stop any time I want.
Zolton, thanks, extra dc and mask it is then. I also hear that some have a rough core so I will restain and point those edges to the rear. Paddy
Paddy,
Have Ya given any thought to white Oak?
Now as to a finish I'd pop the question to Steve over in the Finishing forum.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
The city where I live has replaced all the slats on their park benches (red oak, I think) with ipe'. It looks good and is put out untreated.
Hammer, I love ipe' but I don't have their budget, If I have to I will paint the socks off some ash so my buddys stop draging out my 10 gal. paint cans or the 5 gal. evaporust can to sit on, it's a bummer dragin them back into the shop when they leave. Paddy
Last time I priced Ipe', it was $6.40 b.f., about 1/3 the cost of teak and way more in line with more pedestrian domestic species. Add to that the fact that you don't need $80/gal finish and need to renew every couple of years, it is not that expensive.
Edited 9/18/2007 1:41 pm ET by byhammerandhand
H, I will see if there is any ipe' with a visitors visa in east tenn. Does this stuff keep it's color or grey out with age? Paddy
It turns gray if unfinished (like teak). You can maintain the color be using a penetrating sealer every year or two.
-Steve
Steve, thanks , drats, I will look at anyway. Paddy
I use ASH.. One of my favorite woods to work with.. A project I had fun with.. I made my son a laminated Ash and hickory Bow (You know, that shoots arrows!) Sort of a 'Long' bow about 50 LB.I posted a PIX a few years ago here....It shoots true and straight and YES I used Gorilla glue that we see here! At my age, I can hardly pull back a 50 LB bow.. LOL.. But my son like it! All that counts. BET when I was younger I could have probably broken it in half! Damn! How we change with age! LOL.. I saw on the net that the ASH tree may pass like the American Elm.. Gee, we humans sure mess up mother Earth!I do not think ASK is good fer' park benches though. Maybe a year or two at best!I do not think ASK, #### Ash? I'l get it right somehow!
Edited 9/19/2007 3:04 pm by WillGeorge
Dear S.weet O.ld B.ob, lookin to spend my money and lead me into a life time of maintenance:>), please under stand that I am a REtired single country gentleman with a whole shop to build out. I will never again put a fine wood with a clear finish out side to create a life long maintenance program. I would rather be free of such tasks to use that fine-read costly- wood for some fine furnishings. There isn't -not at present unfortunately- a live in design consultant to direct the rehab of two benches for my buddies to sit on and discuss the events in the world at the end of the day, while consuming most of my PBR's.
More gentile guests get a seat on the elevated 12x20 kitchen deck that looks over the 4 acres or on the 53' front porch-soon to get a second swing.
I will proceed with a test of the magic deck plank and if it's a bust I WILL use 5/4 ash as we are up to our ears with it in East Tenn. -read inexpensive from the mill- It will get the same hvlp gravity paint as the new ash porch swing, two coats of SW enamel primer and two or more coats of shamrock green semi gloss trim enamel.
Yes I bought the second swing. It was well made locally with super straight grained ash, It's a full two seater with a cute heart cutout in the back slats, it was a closeout at the local farmer's co-op for less than $60 with chains, looks like hearts didn't sell too good, I guess it's just a "love seat". It sure saved me a bunch of time. Btw, the old swing gets painted too and hung long on the chain(within 2" of the deck) and restrained in motion with bungys to eye bolts in the deck for the nippers when they visit and jacked back up with "S" hooks so us big kids can sit after they depart.
Now how can I help you? Ya like hand tools I see and I have been acquiring (I am a user NOT a collector) combination planes for more than 25 years, long before they became stupid in price(blame the collectors not the users) like a can full of cutters at a flea market for $5. I have a lot of cutters. Have you ever tried them, perhaps I can get you infecte--err interested in them? :>). All the best Paddy
PADDY,
Great to hear from Y'all,
We have two o them there cast iron legs and partial backs with the slats on the seats and I just remembered there is a strip of metal screwed, front to back, to the underside of each of the slats. These benches are about 10 years old and there is NO SAG at all in the slats.
Wonder if that there metal strap has anything to do with it..................... Oh, and by the by, that slats are ASH!
Gotta a great deal on some Olympic oil based stain at the local hardware store. They are discontinuing the Olympic in favor of Cabot, so they're selling their inventory for $5/Gal. Moir got the last 6 gals. of Rosewood to stain the deck. Came out great! Also picked up some Evergreen, and 10 gals. of Grey.
Old fashioned porch swings! I'm jealous. I'll be making a farmers porch this spring and you can be sure I'll find one somewhere. I'd also like to make either some Adirondacks or maybe a couple Canadian gliders.........
Now about them PBRs. Pabst Blue Ribbons? We used to buy a 6 pack of the 16's and go down to Nahant Beach near Lyn MA and have a few (too many sometimes). Used to call 'em pubers
As to the cutters, I've got a #45 and started fettling the cutters (I have Box 1 only) and tried them on some straight grained pine. More fettling, fettling I guess. It's kinda fun working that plane. It'll be even more when I get the cutters razor sharp. This WILL HAPPEN.
Regards from the O.S.O.B. (Old Sharpener Of Blades),Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Teak is a very traditional wood for park benches and boat decks. Personal experience is that it works great and does not require any finish, ever and lasts indefinitely. I understand that mahogany also works great
John,thanks for the post but too rich for my retired blood, see the other posts. thanks again, Paddy
About 4 years ago we moved to Las Vegas from Plymouth, MA. The wife noted how badly the slats on our "Park Bench" looked and suggested they be replaced. Being a rather frugal person, she suggested that the replacement slats should be our never to be used again cross county skis. They have been holding up well in the desert sun and require no refinishing.
DM, great recycle, they must look cool, Paddy
In my experience composite decking does not wear tool edges too much, tough to drive screws through, though (and standard screws will mushroom).
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